


deep in this sleeplessness

by sizhu



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Domestic, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:47:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27232960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sizhu/pseuds/sizhu
Summary: Shouichi has a new neighbor. This neighbor never,evergoes out during the day.He never actually intended to find out why.
Relationships: Dino/Irie Shouichi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 10





	deep in this sleeplessness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [saunatonttu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saunatonttu/gifts).



> Happy birthday, Aija! Even if it is a week late… Also happy halloween!!! You like vampires so have a suave vampire neighbor. I hope I did Shouichi’s characterization justice, since he’s your boy an’ all, and typically I write from Dino’s perspective.
> 
> But I had so much fun writing this that I got a little carried away and couldn’t figure out how to wrap it up. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it. 
> 
> As always, I love you dearly and have deeply appreciated having you in my life these past 7-ish years. I hope we remain friends for years to come. My best friend, the sister of my soul.

Shouichi’s new neighbor was… Odd, to say the least. Even compared to himself—he wasn't unaware of what the other neighbors thought of him and his own unusual hours, how no one visits him and how he almost never leaves the apartment until he _has_ to—for groceries, when one of his only two friend-acquaintances drag him out to photosynthesize, or when a client needs at-home tech support. However, it seemed that the _new_ neighbor was charming enough that the other neighbors paid his oddness little mind. Shouichi tried to pretend that didn't rankle him.

This new neighbor – Shouichi couldn't recall his name, or if he'd even ever heard it before – only left his apartment at sundown on the dot. He didn't return until sunrise. On the dot. Sure, plenty of people kept weird hours, and maybe the new neighbor worked the graveyard shift. And keeping weird hours wasn't something _Shouichi_ could be judgmental about, given how his circadian rhythm had fucked off to Nowhere Ville sometime back in high school, never to be seen again but to be dearly and sorely missed.

So, with no room to judge, Shouichi tried to keep his curiosity at bay. The new neighbor had moved in little more than a month or two ago, and Shouichi had only _actually_ seen him once. Maybe a second time he couldn't recall in a haze of sleep deprivation. They'd very briefly crossed paths in the hallway—not long enough to talk, not even introduce themselves. Shouichi had been bringing in his groceries and struggling with his keys and the neighbor was just leaving, already halfway down the hall by the time Shouichi had gotten through his doorway.

Long, _long_ legs. Well, longer than Shouichi's. Shouichi wasn't short by most means, but he had a habit of slouching and shuffling. This neighbor stood tall and walked briskly. So quickly had they passed each other that Shouichi barely got more than a cursory glimpse at him: tall (taller than Shouichi, probably even when he made the effort not to slouch), long legs, blonde, and looking like it had been a very long time since he'd last seen the sun. Shouichi thought he _might_ have seen his eyes, maybe even seen them widening in surprise, but he couldn’t be sure. The incident was brief.

Which is why, when there was a firm, confident knock on his apartment door (that he knew wasn’t either of his friend-acquaintances: one just barges in, the other knocks _incessantly_ ), Shouichi could be forgiven for leaping out of his skin from a light (and unexpected) doze with an inhuman shriek. Another knock on the door, but less confident this time, more inquiring.

"C-Coming!" Shouichi called down his short hallway, trying to catch his breath. He pressed a hand to his stuttering heart. Running his other hand through his hair in an effort to tame it, Shouichi stood from his work desk and tottered out of his little office.

The unknown visitor must have heard him since there was no further inquiring knock. Funny, since Shouichi hadn't been that loud, shriek aside. Well—having any kind of unknown visitor at all was strange enough as it was. And when Shouichi finally opened the door to greet the visitor, he found himself speechless.

There, standing before him in all his pallid glory, was the new(-ish) neighbor. Strangely, he was holding a gift basket. Shouichi blinked up at him, unsure if he was still asleep or not. The new neighbor's eyes were a rich brown that bordered on fresh honey with a ridiculous hint of gold. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. A couple more tries, and all he'd accomplished was looking like a particularly dumbfounded fish.

After several awkward seconds, the new neighbor smiled disarmingly and mercifully took pity on Shouichi while his brain rebooted itself.

"Hi," the new neighbor said. "Sorry it's taken me so long to greet you."

Shouichi croaked. If there were any gods out there, he mentally begged them to strike him down.

"I've been told I have that effect on people." The stranger's smile never faltered, though his eyebrows _did_ tick upward in mild amusement. Shouichi wasn’t sure if he wanted to punch him or—okay, no, calm down, Shouichi. _You don't even know his_ name _. He could be a serial murderer for all you know._

"I—uh." Very eloquent, Shouichi. "… I don't usually get visitors…"

"I noticed." The neighbor's face suddenly contorted into a complicated dance of emotions that Shouichi couldn't hope to follow even if he tried. The stranger soldiered on despite himself. "Ah, sorry. I have sensitive hearing? And I don't sleep much. So I notice when people come and go. Anyway, that's hardly the point! I wanted to introduce myself to my neighbors now that I've finally settled. My name is Dino."

"…Dino," Shouichi repeated, filing the name away in memory. "… Does Dino have a last name?"

Dino's smile just widened. (Shouichi thought, a little deliriously, that the man's canines were unnaturally sharp. He _really_ needed to get more sleep.) "Not that I want a friend to use. It's far too recognizable, anyhow. I'd like to be _just_ Dino. If that's alright with you."

"…Oh. Sure?" Shouichi stood there, dumbfounded again. "…Shouichi, I guess."

He'd never cared for propriety and given that most people addressed him with _'hey you, come fix my computer'_ , it didn't really matter all that much.

Dino simply tilted his head at him. "Shouichi…?"

Nerves fizzled in his chest, but Shouichi had made his decision. "Yeah. Just Shouichi."

Laughter bubbled out from Dino and Shouichi felt his chest constrict. Seriously, who _was_ this man? Why was he getting such strong reactions from Shouichi?

"Very well, 'Just Shouichi'," Dino began, his laughter quieting but his smile no less disarming. "I brought a gift basket. I figured it was the socially acceptable way to introduce myself properly. I hope you don't have any food allergies."

"None that I know of…" Shouichi spoke slowly, unsticking his tongue from the roof of his mouth. He opened his door wider and stepped aside, half turning to walk back down the hall. However, Dino didn't follow him in. If anything, Dino's smile tightened at the edges as he shuffled his weight awkwardly from one foot to the other. Weird. "Aren't you… Coming in?"

"Only if I'm invited," Dino said with a light-hearted hum that somehow felt disingenuous.

_What a strange guy._

"Well, come on in, then." Shouichi tried not to smile.

Dino seemed to light up like a puppy that had just been told it was time for a walk. The smile lit up his eyes in that stupid-pretty gold again. Shouichi hadn't known that brown could be so… _Arresting._ Dino sheepishly ducked into the apartment, following Shouichi. "Thank you."

"Sorry for the mess," Shouichi said, once he found himself again. "Like I said, not too many visitors."

"I don't entertain many guests myself, so I'm not one to judge."

"Huh."

"Is that really so surprising?" Dino asked, smiling in such a way that it sent fire right up Shouichi's cheeks, to his ears and down his neck.

"…N-no, I just… Would have thought…"

"I’m flattered,” Dino said. He let his smile soften into something less of a weapon. Shouichi tried to rein his traitorous heart in. "But between actually _moving_ and setting up the business, it’s been a very busy couple of months since I moved in.”

"Business?" Shouichi asked, taking the opportunity. He wanted to know why his neighbor was _never_ out when the sun was. It occurred to him that the sun was still technically out, but Dino was still in the apartment complex proper. And perhaps he was just stopping by before work, as it was edging past early evening pretty quickly.

"Yes." Dino chuckled. "I own a bar downtown. I believe we're the only one that closes an hour before sunrise, though there is a lunch hour that one of my managers covers until I get in at sundown."

"Oh." Shouichi blinked. He hadn't expected… "Well, I suppose that makes sense."

"As opposed to…?"

"Well, I—" Shouichi floundered. "I don't know, actually. …I thought you might be a serial murderer, maybe."

Dino hummed again. His lips quirked, as if he were trying not to laugh. He looked around the apartment before turning his attention back onto Shouichi. "And I suppose one might assume that you are, ah… Anti-social."

"How do you—"

"I told you, Shouichi," Dino said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "I have sensitive hearing."

Here, Dino paused as if battling with himself on what he was going to say next. He let out a soft puff of breath that wasn't _quite_ a sigh before he continued. "And despite my night hours, I've run into all of our neighbors but you. So, I figured that I'd come to you myself, bearing gifts."

Somehow, Shouichi knew that wasn't what Dino had been originally planning on saying, but something held his tongue. Some sense of propriety that Dino hadn't shown yet. maybe. Which seemed odd, and—despite not knowing him at all—uncharacteristic of him.

"Aren't the current residents supposed to bring gifts to the _new_ resident…?" Shouichi found himself asking, despite the fact that he'd have nothing to give. He continued into the apartment, leading Dino into the kitchen. "…Do you want anything? Water, or something?"

Dino's smile returned to its usual(?) light. "If you wish. I don't have much need, though the thought is appreciated."

"Oh." Shouichi rubbed the back of his neck. "…Why did you ask if I had food allergies?"

"I made food," Dino answered as if that were a silly question. "I'm not much of a baker, but I do make killer tiramisu, if I do say so my—"

Dino cut off as Shouichi's stomach reared its ugly head, roaring to life and demanding that it be appeased with the usual—and long overdue—sacrifice of edible sustenance. Reminding Shouichi that he… Didn't actually remember the last time he ate. Oops. However, his guest simply smiled in an easygoing, non-judgmental manner.

"I suppose it's a good thing that I made dinner, as well," he said. "I made potato gnocchi and tiramisu. I wasn't sure if you liked white or red, so I brought one of each."

"…Red or white what?"

"Wine, of course."

Shouichi felt his face flame again. This was starting to sound strangely like one of those romances his mother was always burying her nose in. "Dino, I—"

"Don't feel obligated for anything," Dino cut him off gently. He set the gift basket lightly onto Shouichi's kitchen table. "It is a gift. Given freely, with no expectations. An excuse to meet my reclusive neighbor. That's all. I have no ulterior motives, I promise."

"…Gnocchi does sound good." Shouichi relented, deciding to trust the newcomer and give into his stomach's demands.

Dino smiled again—or had he been smiling the entire time?—and nodded his head in some semblance of a bow.

"Good," he said. "Eat something, Just Shouichi. And, if I may…"

"Huh?"

"Get some rest. You look like you went ten rounds with a freight truck and lost."

Shouichi would be upset if he didn't know Dino was speaking the truth. Now that he'd been reminded of how terrible he looked, he _felt_ it. He tightened his jaw against a yawn so hard he felt something crack. That probably wasn't good—and given the look Dino was leveling him, the other man had heard it, too.

Sensitive hearing.

…He might have to find quieter switches for his keyboard if he was going to keep working around the clock like normal. Though… No one has called to inform him of any complaining neighbors. Yet.

Shouichi shook his head and reached for the gift basket with a cursory glance at Dino for… For what? Approval? Dino tilted his head back at him, a placid expression on his face, as if he, too, were waiting to see what Shouichi did. His eyes flickered down just a hair, and Shouichi found himself wondering what he was looking at. He cleared his throat, feeling it bob with the action. Dino's eyes followed the movement.

Maybe the neighbor _was_ some kind of weird, serial murderer.

Suddenly, the moment was over.

"I'll leave you to it, then," Dino said, turning back toward the entrance. "I'll see you around?"

"I—yeah, maybe." Shouichi dropped his hand away from the basket to step forward, intending to see Dino to the door.

"I can see myself out, don't worry. You'd best eat before you have a full-blown mutiny on your hands." Dino laughed softly—triggered by another heinous growling from Shouichi's stomach. "Feel free to visit, Shouichi. I'm always home, except when I'm not."

"S-sundown to sunrise, right?" Shouichi found himself asking, feeling his entire body light on fire. It sounded… Vaguely stalkerish, coming from him. Not at all as charming as Dino made his own sensitive hearing to be.

Dino's smile simply widened, though. It reached his eyes and once more, Shouichi thought he saw flecks of gold dust hidden in deep brown. He inclined his head. "I'm not the only one paying attention, it seems."

Shouichi wished for, more than anything, the earth to open up and swallow him whole.

And just like that, Dino was gone from his apartment as if he'd never been there in the first place. The only evidence that Shouichi had had a visitor was the innocuous gift basket on the kitchen table.

His stomach gurgled again.

" _Fine_ , I'll feed you," Shouichi grumbled to his own stomach. "And then—then… Rest."

As it turned out, Shouichi had been so hungry that there were no leftovers. The gnocchi destroyed and the tiramisu vanished. As for the wine, he set those aside. He wasn't sure if he even liked wine, and if he might, what it would go with. Neither of his friend-acquaintances would know, either. Probably.

Not that he would tell either of them anything about his strange, nocturnal, and disarming neighbor.

Shouichi barely remembered to power down his computers before he crawled into bed. If he were more awake, more alert, he might have been alarmed at how easy it was to follow Dino's suggestion to get some rest, but…

Dino was gentle about it, even if he _did_ say Shouichi looked like shit. He was kind about it, too. Maybe tomorrow…

Tomorrow…

Shouichi was out before he could finish the thought.

* * *

The weeks passed quickly after that, with Dino greeting him in the hallway during mail trips or after grocery runs, and Shouichi occasionally returning the gesture of cordiality by poking his head out and bidding Dino a good night at work (or a good morning when Dino returned after, since Shouichi’s body didn’t seem to know what sleep was). Every time, it earned him a surprised, yet charmed smile from the blonde. As if Dino never considered that Shouichi would reciprocate his kindness.

(To be fair, however, Shouichi never did return the gift basket. Or make him something in thanks—not that Shouichi _could_ , given his fridge was stacked full of takeout and delivery.)

However, soon the routine crashed to a screeching halt. Work requests had piled up, taking up all of his time and energy. Fingers flew across mechanical keyboards, clack-a-clacking away at what were surely impossible speeds. The momentum carried Shouichi through a handful of work orders without losing any steam and Shouichi felt he could actually finish at least half of them that day. He surely wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Faster work meant a quickly dwindling backlog.

Unfortunately, the momentum that carried him through work also made him forget certain human necessities. It wasn’t until a familiar knock on the door surprised him out of his focus. Shouichi blinked blearily at one of his many computer screens and looked around the room, looking for the source of the noise. No second knock came, but he _did_ hear his door click open and sure steps echo down the short apartment hallway. He… Had locked the door, hadn’t he? He could have sworn he had. But there, in the doorway to his cramped office, stood Dino in all his glory and looking—looking _incredibly_ worried.

“… How did you get in?” Shouichi winced at his accusatory tone—even if it was a fair question.

Dino simply sighed and held up a hand, and once again Shouichi knew he just _had_ to be seeing things, cursed hallucinations caused by sleep deprivation. People didn’t have _claws_ , not like what Dino was showing him. Surely Shouichi was just delirious. He swallowed.

“I think I’m seeing things,” Shouichi admitted.

“Well—” Dino coughed nervously, letting a smile tilt his lips up. “Probably. But not these. When was the last time you slept, Shouichi? The last time you ate?”

Shouichi sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. “…I don’t know.”

“I thought not.” Dino hummed. He carefully approached Shouichi as if he were approaching a skittish animal—and Shouichi would be offended if his heart rate wasn’t already through the roof (be it from caffeine or Dino-related nerves). Dino held out his clawed hands for Shouichi to take. “Come on. To bed with you, Just Shouichi.”

Shouichi peered distrustfully at those proffered hands. He reached up and tentatively poked one of the claws, testing if he were truly hallucinating or not. It… Felt solid, at the very least. And very pointy. If he’d poked any harder, he probably would have started bleeding.

Dino smiled indulgently at him. “C’mon. It’s after sundown.”

“Shouldn’t you be at work, then?” Shouichi squinted up at Dino. “Who’s supervising your bar?”

“One of my managers can handle it for tonight,” Dino said. “I was forced to take a night off, else I’d have a mutiny on my hands. Which means for tonight, I get to look after _you_.”

“That doesn’t sound like much of a night off…”

“On the contrary, darling.” Dino chuckled. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

He flexed his fingers in a sort of “give me” motion, reminding Shouichi that he was still waiting for Shouichi to take his hands. Shouichi found himself doing just that, surprising himself—and completely missing the sudden endearment.

“Now tell me, little lamb,” Dino said, hoisting Shouichi up from his chair effortlessly. “Why haven’t you been sleeping? You look like death warmed up, and you admit you’re starting to hallucinate.”

“Too much to do,” Shouichi found himself admitting. “Too wired, too busy.”

“That won’t do at all,” Dino chided, though it sounded less patronizing than it should have. To Shouichi, it just sounded worried. “You won’t do your best work if you don’t sleep.”

“But I—”

“No buts,” Dino hushed Shouichi with one of his disarming smiles. “Now, I know several ways to get your kind to sleep. Do you trust me?”

“My kind…?”

“Human, of course.” Dino tilted his head. “Surely you’ve noticed by now? Unless you’ve been so absorbed in your work…”

“What—”

“Never you mind. You’ll realize it in just a moment. I ask again, little lamb: Do you trust me?”

“Well, I—” Shouichi blinked several times up at Dino, trying to get his bearings. He was standing now, a little wobbly, but on his feet at least, and Dino was showering him in endearments for—for…. Some reason. “…Yeah. I do.”

“Excellent.” Dino hummed. He steered Shouichi to the bedroom, and Shouichi had to wonder how Dino knew which room it was. A mystery for another day, maybe, because Dino was speaking again. “Now, slip into something to sleep in. I promise I won’t peek.”

Shouichi side-eyed Dino disbelievingly, but true to his word, Dino turned his back to him, giving him privacy. So, with only mild discomfort did Shouichi pad over to his dresser and pull out more comfortable clothing. He worked quickly so Dino wasn’t waiting for too long. Just as he was pulling on the softest, warmest sweatshirt he owned, Shouichi looked into the dresser mirror. He blinked several times before turning to look at Dino—still standing by the door with his back to Shouichi. Then he looked back at the mirror.

“…Dino.”

“Yes, Shouichi?”

“…You don’t have a reflection.”

Shouichi heard, rather than saw, Dino turn around and approach Shouichi. He stood behind him and for the first time, Shouichi felt how strangely cold Dino was.

“So I don’t.” There was a smile in Dino’s voice. Shouichi turned to look at him.

“I’m not hallucinating, am I?” Shouichi’s voice was a small, nervous thing. It trembled despite Shouichi’s best efforts.

“Not this time, darling.”

“… Are you going to eat me?”

“Heavens, no!” Dino sounded appalled at the very idea. He reached out and touched Shouichi’s cheek. It was a cold touch, but inordinately gentle. “You’re no lamb for the slaughter, Shouichi. My kind hasn’t done that for years—save a minority trying to cling to the old ways.”

“Oh.” Shouichi furrowed his brows. “Why are you calling me a lamb, then?”

“Your hair,” Dino said, too quickly for it to have been intentional. Still, he smiled and reached up with the hand not on Shouichi’s face, patting down the unruly mop of ginger. “And your face. Very cute. _However_ , that can wait. You, darling lamb, need sleep.”

“But I can’t—” Shouichi dithered. “… I’ve tried.”

“I asked if you trusted me,” Dino reminded him. “I can grant you sleep in a few ways.”

“…How?”

“Well, I could do it the human way and drop you on the bed and become a weighted blanket so you can’t get up until you sleep—” Here, Shouichi wrinkled his nose and Dino smiled. “There’s also hypnotism, which I find rather unfair, since you can’t really tell me to stop during it. And sometimes it comes with side effects of odd dreams. Or, I can drink until you’re exhausted. My preferred method, as it both feeds me and affords you the opportunity to tell me to stop.”

“…Drink?” Shouichi’s voice trembled again.

“Your blood, of course. You _have_ realized it by now, haven’t you? You weren’t hallucinating my claws, and you can clearly see I have no reflection. Weeks ago, I had to tell you to specifically invite me in.”

“…I thought I was hallucinating that day, too,” Shouichi mumbled. “Thought you had fangs.”

Dino simply grinned at him, showing off the fangs Shouichi thought he’d imagined. “Fangs, indeed.”

“You didn’t have claws before,” Shouichi found himself saying.

“I can retract them,” Dino said. “I may have used them to open your door, though. You were starting to worry me, my dear. Now, you’re stalling.”

“…You said I can tell you to stop any time?”

“Of course.” Dino frowned. “Your consent on the matter is important.”

Shouichi’s face flamed, but he soldiered on. “…Then… Drink, I guess. If it’s better than hypnotism. And won’t have you trying to squish me.”

Dino arched a brow but nodded. He tilted his head toward the bed. “Get comfortable, then. I have a hunch you’ll be out fairly quickly.”

Face still on fire, Shouichi did as bidden. Once he was as comfortable as he could be under the covers (and with Dino watching him) he looked up at the—the vampire—expectantly. “Now what?”

Dino hummed, settling himself on the edge of Shouichi’s bed. He then took Shouichi’s hand, lifting his arm up and pressing a gentle kiss to Shouichi’s wrist. “Relax, little lamb. I can hear your heartbeat. No need to be so nervous. It’s just me.”

“Just Dino, right.” Shouichi rolled his eyes. “I’m starting to think there’s no ‘just’ about you.”

“Perhaps.” Dino chuckled against Shouichi’s wrist, sending vibrations through Shouichi’s skin and up his arm. “Mayhaps I’ll even tell you my last name in the morning. Though, now knowing how much of a hermit you are, you might not have even heard of it. Now, are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be, I guess.”

“Good enough, lamb.” Dino gave another swift kiss against the flat inside of Shouichi’s wrist—sending shivers up his spine—before opening his mouth and sinking his teeth in. Needle sharp, but it hurt less than Shouichi had expected. It was more pressure than pain.

Dino drank deeply but slowly, letting Shouichi get used to the sensation. Shouichi drifted, eyes closed and thoughts clouding. It felt… It felt…

Shouichi didn’t have the words to describe it, not really. He’d never felt anything like it before. It was pleasure, but not heat. There was no embarrassment in the good feeling, which surprised Shouichi, as he had always been embarrassed by feeling good in—well, most measures.

Unbidden, Shouichi reached out in a haze and dug his fingers into Dino’s hair, curling them into blonde locks. A surprise noise from Dino filtered into Shouichi’s ears, buzzing pleasantly in his brain. Soon, Dino’s teeth were no longer in Shouichi’s wrist. They were quickly replaced by a tongue laving over punctured skin. Shouichi shivered but couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes. It was too nice of a feeling to disturb, and soon enough, Shouichi felt the punctures close, as if magically healed. Then, Dino’s chill was leaning away, a cold hand gently prying Shouichi’s fingers from his mane.

“Easy, lamb,” Dino whispered. He ran his own cold fingers through Shouichi’s hair, working gently through the tangles, soothing some of the warmth that was building up in Shouichi. “I’m right here, if that’s what you need to sleep.”

“Mmn…” Shouichi felt himself nod even through the haze of sleep. It didn’t take him much longer for sleep to finally drag him under. It was the first time in a long time where he slept deeply and comfortably. No dreams, no restlessness. Just blissful, rejuvenating oblivion.

* * *

By sunrise, Shouichi was bright eyed and bushy tailed. He hadn’t woken up once in the middle of the night. He didn’t think he tossed and turned in his sleep like usual, either. All he had was the pleasant soreness of a night slept in a single comfortable position. He was sure if he hadn’t woken to the smell of breakfast, he would probably still be asleep. But breakfast did waft down the hall and into the bedroom and it smelled _divine_.

But—

That also meant someone was in his apartment. Had Dino stayed the night?

Shouichi reluctantly slid from the warmth of the bed and padded down the hall on bare feet, rubbing his arms through his sweatshirt. At the kitchen, he stopped and poked his head in, only to find Dino wearing a cutesy apron and cooking a champion’s breakfast. Shouichi blinked.

“I don’t think I can eat all of that,” Shouichi said, unfiltered in his comfort.

Dino tilted his head in Shouichi’s direction, smiling brightly and as warm as the sun. Lucky for him, there were no windows in the kitchen. “Good morning, sunshine.”

Shouichi blinked at him. “…Morning.” And then, a thought hit him: “Wait, it’s daylight. You’re still here.”

“Mmhm.” Dino nodded. “I dipped over to my apartment to grab ingredients for breakfast, but I wasn’t really going to leave until I knew you were okay.”

“But— daylight?” Shouichi repeated, helplessly.

“What about it?” Dino asked. His smile had softened into something patient and indulgent.

“Shouldn’t—shouldn’t you be sleeping? During the day? Or—what if you walk by a window? Won’t you burn?”

Dino blinked slowly at him, catlike and still endlessly patient. “I’ll be fine, _tesoro_. A little sunlight won’t kill me.”

“But it’ll still hurt?” Shouichi fidgeted with the end of his sleeves, cheeks burning at the new endearment, even if he didn’t quite know what it meant. It was a different language, and Dino’s voice was warm when he said it, so it must have been nice.

“Well. Drawing the curtains would help.” Dino winked. “Very cute when you worry, lamb. Sit, sit. Breakfast is almost ready. I’m sure you’re starving, since I don’t know when you last ate, and I took quite a bit more than I’d intended.”

Shouichi was certain his face was redder than his hair. He stammered, sounds coming out without knowing what he was trying to say. He found himself sitting at the table on autopilot. Dino left him to it, turning his focus back to breakfast. Shouichi didn’t know what it was. At first, he thought they were pancakes, but they looked much thinner. He didn’t have to wait long to find out, though.

“Sweet _crespelle_. You might need the sugar after last night.” Dino hummed, setting a plate of sweet, delicious smelling, very thin pancakes on the table in front of Shouichi—they reminded him of crepes. “Topped with Nutella, whipped cream, and banana slices.”

Suspiciously, there was only a plate for one person. Shouichi frowned a bit, looking from the plate to Dino. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

Dino blinked back at him before laughing softly. “I promise you, I am _very_ well fed. Trust me when I say this, darling: You are _quite_ the treat.”

He winked again and Shouichi made a sound akin to dropping something on his mechanical keyboard. Some horrid appropriation of a verbal key smash. Shouichi groaned and buried his face in his hands, embarrassment boiling his body. Dino simply pat him gently on the head. Unbidden, Shouichi leaned into the touch.

“Next time you can’t sleep, lamb, call me,” Dino said. “My cell is always on. And it’s always with me.”

“…I wouldn’t want to bother you for something so trivial. Especially if you’re at work.”

“I don’t think your insomnia is quite as trivial as you pretend it is, darling.” Dino smiled, sitting next to Shouichi at the small kitchen table. He set his elbow on the table and propped his chin up in his hand. After a moment’s consideration, he said, “But if disturbing me really worries you, text me, then. I’ll know it’s not an emergency and I’ll come see you right after work. Is that better?”

“I—yeah.” Shouichi huffed. “…I still don’t want to be a bother.”

“Shouichi,” Dino said. His voice was suddenly firm, making Shouichi sit up straighter in his chair, waiting for reprimand. “You are never a bother, _tesoro_. Never. In fact, I’m sure that my staff at _Cavallone’s_ would be glad to have an excuse to send me home to rest, not that I _need_ it, given what I am.”

“You’re… _that_ Dino?”

“Oh, you _have_ heard of me.” Dino seemed utterly delighted by this, though Shouichi couldn’t fathom why.

“I may have… Googled ‘famous people named Dino’ after you said your last name would be too recognizable? The list was really, really long, though, and I didn’t think most of them could be possible since, well. You didn’t look old enough.”

Dino blinked rapidly before bursting into wild laughter. Shouichi hunched his shoulders, cheeks permanently pink by now. But somehow, he didn’t feel like he was being laughed _at_. No, Dino was typically too gentle for that. Instead, once Dino’s laughter had settled, he sighed, a pleased little exhale (that now, knowing the truth, Shouichi didn’t think he really needed to do). He offered Shouichi a smile. “You’re very sweet to say so, dear lamb. Now, eat. Eat! You must be starving.”

As if reminded of its own existence, Shouichi’s stomach roared to life. Properly chastised, Shouichi dug into his food. He felt warm, but not overly so. Like he’d finally come home—even in his own apartment. It took more effort than it should have to swallow the first bite, but it was so very emotional.

“Thank you, Dino,” Shouichi said once he’d finally swallowed. He rubbed frantically at his eyes. “Really. Thank you so much.”

Dino’s eyes softened. He reached across the table and brushed a tear away. “Of course, lamb. You deserve to be treasured.”

“You’re only saying that because you liked my blood,” Shouichi hiccoughed, attempting to laugh only for it to splutter out and leave him wheezing.

Dino chuckled. “No, darling. I would say so even if you hadn’t fed me so well. And I’ll say so even if you never fed me again.”

“Oh,” was all Shouichi could say. In lieu of trying to form a proper response, Shouichi tucked into his breakfast. He did need to appease the roaring beast that was his stomach, after all. He surprised himself by eating all that Dino had cooked, even when he thought he couldn’t. He must have been far hungrier than he thought. Then again, he didn’t remember the last time he ate…

“I’m glad you like my cooking,” Dino said with a soft laugh. He stood from the table and began cleaning up the tools he’d used for breakfast—Shouichi wasn’t sure he could name anything other than the hand whisk. “Or were you so hungry you didn’t even taste it?”

“…It was good,” Shouichi mumbled, embarrassed by the gentle callout.

“How about this, darling,” Dino said, turning his focus entirely on Shouichi. “I’ll bring you dinner before I head out to the bar every night, and I’ll check in when I come home each morning.”

“You… Really don’t have to do that, Dino.” Shouichi fidgeted with his fingers.

“Of course I don’t.” Dino eyed him, considering. “I’m offering because I care about you. If you’re dithering because you don’t think you have anything to offer me in return, you don’t have to. Not everything in life is a transaction, lamb.”

“But—”

Dino sighed, effectively cutting Shouichi off. Then, he smiled. “If it really bothers you, then perhaps—”

“I’ll feed you,” Shouichi said suddenly, surprised at his burst of courage. Before he could take it back, he pushed forward. “Every—Every week, if you need it.”

“Oh, you _spoil_ me, darling.” Dino chuckled softly. “You’ll turn me into a fat, contented housecat. A deal, then.”

Shouichi wheezed. His face burned so hot he was sure he was actually on fire this time. Just yesterday he was certain that vampires were only a myth and Dino’s oddities were just that—oddities. And now he was offering to _feed_ the vampire. Just what even was his life.

“It’s—it’s only fair,” Shouichi choked out. “I can’t… let you do all of that for me without doing _something_ for you, and I can’t cook, and you’ve never asked for IT help, so…”

“If that’s what you wish,” Dino said with a soft hum. He dried his hands from the cleaning and stepped over to Shouichi. He reached out and tipped Shouichi’s head up by the chin with two fingers. “Don’t forget you can say no at any time. I told you the day we met not to feel obligated for anything. I told you last night that your consent is of the utmost importance to me.”

If Shouichi wasn’t on fire before, he certainly had to be now. He swallowed nervously.

“I will see you tonight before I leave for work, Shou,” Dino purred. He leaned in and brushed cold lips against Shouichi’s jaw, at the junction between throat and ear. “Don’t overwork yourself, darling lamb. I’ll hear it if you do.”

* * *

True to his word, Dino showed up that evening and dropped off dinner. And then he was back again in the morning with a simple breakfast—and an exasperated look at Shouichi’s lack of sleep before sending him off to bed.

And so began their routine, of vampire caring for human and human feeding vampire (every Monday evening, Dino’s staff-mandated “night off for self-care”) until eventually, Shouichi found himself near-permanently housing the vampire to the point that even Dino’s crepe pan found permanent residence in Shouichi’s kitchen.

Shouichi had, indeed, turned vampire Dino Cavallone into the approximation of a contented housecat.

And he loved every minute of it.


End file.
